MotoGP: Iannone, Marquez will make Valencia GP even tougher for Rossi

By foxsports
Published

Valentino Rossi can expect no favors from best buddy Andrea Iannone in Sunday's world championship showdown in Valencia. 

The message is the same from Honda's main man, Marc Marquez - now entrenched as Rossi's worst enemy given the dramatic fall out in the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Iannone, who revels in Rossi inspired nickname of "Maniac Joe," says his only focus is clinching third place in the championship ahead of Dani Pedrosa.

Aside from the race course, Iannone often hangs out at Rossi's dirt track ranch in Italy.

This season, Iannone has emerged as Ducati's fastest rider, but he had a blunt message when asked if he will assist Rossi's dramatic title bid in the 30-lapper at Valencia.

"Absolutely not," Iannone said.

"The only thing I imagine is my fight with Dani [Pedrosa], and for me this is the priority to get fourth place in the championship and I want to arrive in front of Dani - this will be the big fight for me."

Marquez denies he has received any instructions from Honda race bosses to stay clear of the battle between Yamaha teammates Jorge Lorenzo and Rossi for the championship.

Honda riders Marquez and Pedrosa, plus Lorenzo, will all qualify strongly and be frontrunners in the race. Rossi, on the other hand, will have to carve through the pack from the rear of the grid.

"Honda and Nakamoto-san [HRC boss Shuhei Nakamoto] have only asked Dani and I to try and win the race, so we will fight to finish first and second," Marquez said.

Iannone is just two points behind Pedrosa in the tight battle for fourth in the championship standings, but faces a tough challenge, as Pedrosa has won two of the past three races (Japan and Malaysia).

Meanwhile, Rossi knows he faces a massive challenge on the narrow, stadium-style, 14-turn Valencia layout if he is to salvage his title ambitions.

Rossi's Yamaha M1 is also conceding eight mph to the factory Ducati GP15s on the long Valencia straight.

Speaking on his chances to move up from the back row on Sunday, Rossi feels it will all depending on the circumstances.

"It depends on my race pace," said Rossi. "If I'm strong, it will be less difficult.

"But, Valencia is a difficult track to recover because it is quite narrow, and in the straight we are not very fast in top speed."